Gonzales lauds work of Fitzgerald's office

After visiting with U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald on Monday morning to see how he and his staff are handling their workload, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Fitzgerald has his full support.

"I wanted to meet with his team and express my gratitude and appreciation for all the good work that this office is doing," he said. "As attorney general, I have great confidence in Pat Fitzgerald."

Gonzales spoke at Chicago's Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Loop during an American Bar Association annual meeting. During an editorial board meeting Monday afternoon at the Chicago Tribune, Gonzales said he did not think there had been any conversations at the White House about replacing Fitzgerald, whose term ends in October.

President Bush will decide whether to let him continue in the job or appoint someone else.

Fitzgerald is leading an investigation into allegations of fraud in hiring for Chicago government jobs.

"I told him today, `You need to go where the evidence takes you,'" Gonzales said. "I do understand Mr. Fitzgerald has devoted significant resources to deal with this issue, as he should do."

Fitzgerald also has questioned several Bush administration officials in connection with his investigation of the leak to the media of the identity of an undercover CIA agent.

During his speech, Gonzales concentrated on national issues, rather than those that affect Chicagoans. He said his biggest concerns were the Federal Sentencing Reform Act, the Patriot Act and the Voting Rights Act.

The Federal Sentencing Reform Act was passed in 1984 to increase safety, Gonzales said. In January the Supreme Court ruled that federal sentencing guidelines are advisory only, and Gonzales said a minimum-guideline system is the best option he has seen to remedy that decision.

He said certain aspects of the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 only apply to some states, and Congress and the Bush administration need to decide if it still makes sense to have that legislation.

He also wants to see the Patriot Act extended.

"Because we're able to share information between the law enforcement community and the intelligence community, we have been successful in breaking up cells in Oregon, Washington and in New York," he said.

He touched upon several other issues.

About proposed legislation to protect journalists from being forced to reveal their sources: "I have said recently that we will go back and look at that to see if that's still good policy."

About questioning Supreme Court candidates: "I do think it's inappropriate to set forth a position on an issue that might come before them."

About affirmative action: "As Hispanics, we say we don't want to be discriminated against because of our race, and when we're given opportunities solely because of our race, that might mean someone else is denied an opportunity because of their race."Air Force Col. Will Gunn, chief defense counsel for the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions, gave the keynote address as the bar association luncheon. He has led the defense of the four detainees brought up on charges in military trials at Guantanamo Bay.

During a news conference after the luncheon, Gunn criticized a system that has prevented Yemeni Salim Ahmed Hamdan and his civilian lawyer from attending portions of Hamdan's trial.

Hamdan is accused of being a former bodyguard and driver for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"That causes me great concern," Gunn said. "It's going to be essential for the government to have full and fair proceedings. "

Gunn called on the Department of Defense to release a report finished last year in response to Guantanamo prosecutors' concerns that detainees were not getting fair trials.